blind boxed

I don't have that many boxes to check...DC Collectibles has unveiled a checklist for its Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure blind-boxed line which includes some of the secret characters. The graphic seems to include the selection from the first four seri...

We Love Fine's San Diego Comic-Con booth was broken up into three different locations: one near the Star Wars exhibits, one in the designer toy area, and another just chilling in the center of the action. The last of the trio...

Titan Merchandise and Luartik are really bringing it! They keep coming out with figure series from great shows and movies, and today’s announcement is the best. They will be making a Buffy the Vampire Slayer figure ser...

Not to be confused with My Little Phony, a series of bootleg My Little Pony figuresA second series of Funko's My Little Pony Mystery Minis is slated to release in August. As with the first series, the standard retail assortment consists mostly of black decos for the characters. However, as with series 1, Ho...

Matt Jones is on a roll with creating figures from popular series! First it with was Doctor Who, then Breaking Bad, now it’s Alien. Partnering up with Titan Merchandise again, Lunartik is releasing a collection of 12 f...

Matt Jones, also known as Lunartik, is releasing a Breaking Bad figure series through Sony and Titan Merchandise. Similar to his Doctor Who series, this will include 12 figures from the award-winning AMC show. So fans of Bre...

Jun 04 //
Natalie Kipper
Series 3 will be available starting June 6, both at Disney Parks and online. A single blind box will cost US$18.95 but if you want a whole tray, it will be US$227.40. That may seem a bit more pricey than the standard Vinylmation but these figures tend to be bigger and they come packaged in a tin rather than a cardboard box.
Not all of the figures have been revealed yet. But here is what has been shown so far:
This is the original Barker Bird from outside The Enchanted Tiki Room at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.
And this is Dream Finder from the original Journey into the Imagination at EPCOT.
Here is an Astronaut from Mission: Space at EPCOT. [Edit: this is actually from Space Mountain, found in both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom parks.]
This is that caveman you see near the beginning of Spaceship Earth at EPCOT. He is the one telling the story by the fire where the pictures on the wall start moving, describing the day's hunt.
Hailing from Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café in Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland, here is Sonny Eclipse.
This is one of the Turtle floats from Disney's Electrical Parade. God, I miss that one.
The final preview is a two-pack of an Irish boy and a musical Cactus from It's a Small World.
Now, onto the variants:
The Country Bear Jamboree's Big Al (who first appeared in Park Starz series 1) and Trixie will be part of a special set themed to the Christmas version of their show. The two-pack will be released on June 20 at Disney Parks for US$49.95. It will be limited to 2000 pieces.
Also releasing on June 20 in US Disney Parks is a variant edition of Pirates of the Caribbean's sleepy Pig Pirate. The figure will cost US$26.95 and be limited to 1000 pieces.
The next pair of variant releases occurs on June 27. The first figure is a clear version of Ezra, one of the three hitch-hiking ghosts that follow the Haunted Mansion's visitors home. He will cost US$24.95 and be limited to 2000 pieces.
For the second half of the June 27 releases, Mission: Space's Astronaut gets a red paint job. Like Ezra, this space explorer will cost US$24.95 but will have a slightly small edition size, 1500 pieces.
Beyond the excitement of simply getting to purchase theses figures, there will also be a special event at Walt Disney World's Downtown Disney Westside. On Friday, June 27 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern at D Street, artists Caley Hicks, Casey Jones, and Thomas Scott will be on hand to sign the new series along with the variant sets. More information can be found here.
[via Vinylmation World]

Previews, release dates, and pricingThe addition of Park Starz to Disney's world of Vinylmation grabbed collectors' attention in a big way. Unlike traditional Vinylmation, each figure in this line has its own unique mold rather than a standard Mickey Mouse form...

When it comes to Kidrobot, their Simpsons figures are probably my favorite line. All of their toys remind me how awesome that show used to be. So now to celebrate their 25th anniversary, Kidrobot is coming out with a number ...

Everyone knows I'm a Disney fangirl, and we've seen several of the different Mystery Minis figures from Funko in the past, but I'm really excited for Disney Series 2! It includes characters from Beauty and the Beast, The...

IAmElemental was started by two moms in New York who wanted to make more action figures for girls. Looking through toy stores, they felt that most female figures were made for adult toy collectors. What adult collects toys? ...

DC Collectibles announced via Facebook that series 2 of its DC Scribblenauts Unmasked is "here"; a message that presumably means they might be at a retailer near you (most likely a Gamestop) as you're reading these words.
For...

Apr 11 //
ScarecroodleFigure Name: Mystery Minis RhaegalFigure Manufacturer: FunkoRetail Price: US$6 to US$8.50Available At: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Big Bad Toy Store
As with other series, Game of Thrones Mystery Minis series one (or "Edition 1") features character art on the front and two sides. The packaging is shrinkwrapped with a tight-fitting plastic (unlike the looser ones seen with the Marvel Mystery Minis series) to prevent tampering.
The back of the box features the rarity chart. You'll notice that there's a pretty healthy selection present. Even cooler is the fact that the animals (both the dire wolves and dragons) feature colorways which makes it easier to get those particular sculpts (assuming that you aren't too picky about whether you get Rhaegal or Viserion. Oh, Drogon? At 1/144 (or one per six cases), you might as well forget about him).
While all of the figures look cool, the dragons and dire wolves are my personal favorites due to those impressively adorable sculpts.
As luck would have it, I managed to pull one of the dragons (Rhaegal)! Granted, I had at least a 1/6 chance of getting a dragon (assuming my math doesn't suck), but it's still really neat.
Rhaegal's sculpting is beyond adorable. As is the general style of the line, his eyes and head are exaggerated larger which gives him more of a just-hatched look. The paint-work is a mix of solid, one-tone greens and yellows with some intermittent decoration. You'll notice that it comes really close to the sample illustrations seen on the rarity chart.
Given his size, Rhaegal is also small enough to fit right in the palm of your hand. His somewhat broader build allows him to balance well on many surfaces.
In fact, he's the smallest Mystery Mini I own. He's even tinier than the Marvel Mystery Minis Loki (reviewed) which, in turn, is smaller than my DC Mystery Minis, my Domo DC Mystery Minis, and my Michael Myers Horror Mystery Mini. Not that there's anything wrong about the size, mind you; plus the human characters in the Game of Thrones Mystery Minis line appear to be larger.
While I've generally liked the look of Funko's Mystery Minis, their non-human designs always seemed to stand out the most and GoT MM Rhaegal is a great example. If I don't seem to have a lot to say about him it's because the design speaks for itself: it's got the kind of cuteness that should appeal to most people rather than just fans of the show (or books).
Funko's Game of Thrones Mystery Minis are available both online and at the usual retailers.
[Big thanks to Funko for sending over a review sample]

It's not about the size of the dragon in the fight...Game of Thrones has proven to be something of a phenomenon. Starting off as a popular book series that appealed more to a geeky fringe, the franchise found mainstream popularity as a show on HBO... although it hadn't really r...

ToyCon UK is coming up at the end of the week, and Taylored Curiosities is bringing her first blind-boxed series to the show. It's a series of Tales from Okemordyn figures, featuring the little Okemordyn critters in different...

Apr 05 //
ScarecroodleFigure Name: Mystery Minis Loki with staffFigure Manufacturer: FunkoRetail Price: US$6 to US$8.50Available At: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Big Bad Toy Store
Cool things come in small packages. The Marvel Mystery Minis box is the same size as the other Mystery Minis series like the Horror Mystery Minis and the Game of Thrones Mystery Minis. However, the shrinkwrapping doesn't look as tight on this set which I've also noticed with the packs I've seen at retail.
Besides the shrinkwrap, the figure inside is contained in a black plastic baggy so it would be *very* hard for a collector to just mess with the packaging a little to find its contents.
As with the Domo DC Mystery Minis (N52 "Batman" reviewed) and other series, the front and two sides of the box display the character illustrations upon which the figurines are based.
The back contains the rarity chart. It's important to remember that there are 24 boxes in every case so a 1/24 would mean a figure is packed one per case whereas a 1/72 is one per three cases. Meanwhile the two rarest figures, Loki with his staff and Deadpool with guns, both have a 1/144 rarity which puts them at one per six cases.
So basically if you bought a full case you'd be guaranteed to have two of each of the 2/24 figures, one Phoenix, and then you'd have a chance of getting either Thanos, Ultron, Deadpool with guns, or Loki with his staff (bearing in mind that, at 1/72, you'd be more likely to get a Thanos or Ultron).
Given that the two rarest figures are just variants, it's a cool way to handle the rarity. It's a bit less cool that Thanos and Ultron, who are both incredible characters, are shortpacked, though. That said, it's an incredible roster that features many of Marvel's most iconic heroes and villains.
When I recently stopped into my local Hot Topic, I noticed that the store had an exclusive series in stock and couldn't resist picking up a pack (partly because I still wanted to get a Galactus). Had I been aware this series didn't include the Green Goblin, I might have just skipped.
The revised Hot Topic series made some pretty significant changes. The Deadpool with guns has been switched to his gray costume and his rarity went from 1/144 (one per six cases) to 2/24; basically he replaces the Green Goblin's place on the rarity chart. In exchange, his old place on the rarity chart is now occupied by a Phoenix variant with clear flames. The normal version of the Phoenix has gone from being 1/24 (one per box) to 2/24 because the standard Deadpool, who now has a yellow-ish colorway (which references... I DON'T KNOW!), was bumped to the 1/24 slot. Finally the 2/24 Hulk now glows in the dark.
As far as exclusives go, the set is somewhat weird although it improves the rarity of the Phoenix which is a plus. I'm just somewhat baffled why the Green Goblin, one of Marvel's most famous villains (character-wise, he's like Lex Luthor and the Joker rolled into one), has been dropped instead of somebody like the Scarlet Witch. My only possibly guess is it has to do with the Scarlet Witch appearing in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Just in case you were wondering, the Hot Topic pack I bought didn't have any of the exclusives. Instead it was a Spider-Man, the character I wanted the least from the series, which continues my trend of only having awful luck at Hot Topic.
Loki, however, looks great. The figurine's only major issue is that the staff )which looks a bit like a pitchfork) is made from a thinner plastic which has a habit of bending in box.
Loki features a metallic bronze color for his helmet, gloves, and such, with a dark green for the rest of his outfit. It really shines under very high lighting. The body itself is stylized and resembles a slimmer version of what we saw in the DC Comics Mystery Minis series. The biggest difference between those two comic-based series, however, is that the Marvel figurines are bobbleheads. I can't help but wonder if the two sets may have had a closer style if not for this fact.
Judging from what I've seen of the Mystery Mystery Minis, they appear to be a good deal smaller than some of the previous series like the DC Comics Mystery Minis and Domo DC Mystery Minis. However, part of it might come down to having used a smaller head for the bobblehead effect.
I'm not sure why Funko opted to make the figurines in this series bobbleheads, as I can't think of another Mystery Minis set that's featured them. However, since all of the Marvel Pop!s are also bobbleheads (something that isn't always done for the Pop! series), I suspect that it might be a licensing issue.
The sculpting and craftsmanship have produced a really cute figure. Funko has done a wonderful job in translating the character into an SD format.
My only real criticism (besides the staff issue) might be in the eyes, which can look funky at times depending on the angle. The problem is that his left eye looks straight right while the right looks more down and to the center. It's something you only really notice when looking at the figure either head-on or from below.
Overall, the Marvel Mystery Minis seems like an awesome blind-boxed series and has some of the best variety in terms of character selection. The standard series only features two variants -- both of which are ultra rares -- so you won't get a lot of the same characters in different poses (conversely, if you like specific characters, this system may not work as well for you). The Marvel Mystery Minis series is made even cooler by having the option of the Hot Topic-exclusive version which improves access to some of the figurines.
[ Thanks to Funko for sending over a blind-boxed figure for review ]

Pint-sized mischief-makerFunko easily ranks among the top makers of blind-boxed collectibles, and it's easy to see why with exciting entries such as the Marvel Mystery Minis series. This time around Funko has released a regular version of the series ...

Official images for the second wave of Disney Mystery Minis, Funko's adorable blind-boxed figures, were revealed this week, giving fans plenty to drool over. The series takes beloved Disney characters, chibi-fies them, and pl...

DC Collecibles' latest batch of solicits (pre-orders open) features a slew of heavy hitters, although none heavier than an incredible statue of Darkseid fighting Superman over a fire pit (presumably on Darkseid's homeworld of Apokolips). Other selections include that new Harley Quinn bust, sketches of new Scribblenauts Unmasked figurines, and the new L'il Gotham figures. Details after the jump.

Finally, after 10,000 years she's free... to be imprisoned in a tiny box. The villainous Rita Repulsa (and hubby, Lord Zedd!) will be starring in The Loyal Subjects' upcoming blind-boxed Mighty Morphin Power Rangers line.
The...

Klei Entertainment has partnered with New York toy designer, Erick Scarecrow to create collectible toys for their games, Don’t Starve and Mark of the Ninja. Now they’ve also decided to make a store website so fan...

Has Liberty ever looked this good? Takara Tomy Arts has put together a very different take on the USA's Statue of Liberty in a series of capsule figures that show the iconic landmark's fun side.
Poses range from what our edit...

I realize that most of the United States is still covered in frost but over in Disney World, the weather is gearing up for spring. So now seems like an excellent time to start discussing EPCOT's International Flower and Garde...

They're baaaaaaack: Gargamel lucky bags are returning to Super7 on Thursday! Like years past, these will be a random assortment of various Gargamel pieces, including unique colorways and maybe even a special piece or two. Of ...

Highlighted by a new wave of Park Starz, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Duffy Bear, and Indy2014 marks the fifth anniversary of Vinylmation and Disney is celebrating the occasion with quite a few announcements. Earlier this week, the Disney Parks Blog posted a preview of several new Vinylmation series coming to...

Funko continues to churn out really neat series of its blind-boxed Mystery Minis with its most recent set being based on the ever-popular Game of Thrones. The series apparently consists of 24 figures which seems to include gl...

The Walking Dead Mystery Minis will be getting a second series from Funko. The first series of blind boxed figures featured only Daryl and Merle with other notable zombies from the TV show. I wasn’t too happy that this...

Tenacious Toys have three new resin series on their website, all done in collaboration with We Are Not Toys as blind-boxed resin collectible sets. The series, all hand-painted by the artists who created them, are:
Shadoe Del...

Some of my favorite chibis are back in action once again! The One Coin Grande Sengoku Basara series has returned, this time with the Eiyu Shuuketsu Hen box. I have previously shown you the first and second boxes of the origin...

Series 12 features 16 figures from the upcoming movieThe LEGO collectible minifigure blind packs are showing no signs of slowing down as they enter series 12. In case you haven't heard there's a LEGO movie coming in February 2014 and this series consists of 16 characters from t...

October is over, and we're now in November. So no more Halloween fun, it's time to move on to other good events. Since we're in November, we're now closer to DesignerCon which will be from November 9-10. This convention celeb...

It's time to get animated and into survival mode
Hey all! It's that time again for my Loot Crate unboxings! Yes, I said 'unboxings' - plural. I'm a dingbat and forgot to record a video for my September crate, and now I also have October's! Though you might notice it's now ...

Taylored Curiosities will be at ToyCon UK in April, and she's bringing with her a new series: Tales of Okemordyn. Among the first figures we'll see from that world are some blind-boxed figures called Gibblegumps, the lit...

2-DAfter one year of collecting minus a Castle Crasher figure and amiibos. Desperately trying to cut back but just seen a cheap Tifa figure on eBay.....Cornelius RoyIf you're an Avatar fans and noticed Chief Beifong figure on SDCC, the dream lives on.
http://zwyerind.com/ there's a banner labelled coming soon...Jeremy Emerje CrockerWeekly top sales are on an indefinite hiatus. My source, Toynes.jp, abruptly stopped making regular postings including rankings. I'll resume whenever they do. :(Niero GonzalezTesting Quickposts! You can now use Tomopop like Twitter